As vehicle packaging constraints increase, various vehicle components may be arranged closer to one another. Access to these components may become cumbersome and various layouts of vehicle components may present certain deformation conditions. These deformation conditions may include vehicle components contacting and deforming one another, decreasing a structural integrity of the components and introducing one or more structural deformities.
For example, some vehicles may comprise a fuel tank arranged upstream of a suspension system relative to a direction of vehicle travel. The suspension system may comprise a bar arranged between the suspension system and the fuel tank. One such example is shown by Komiya in U.S. Pat. No. 7,360,621. Therein, a fuel tank is arranged upstream of the suspension system. A lateral bar extending between the fuel tank and the suspension system is completely covered with foam. Additionally, longitudinal portions of the suspension system adjacent the lateral bar are similarly covered in foam.
However, the inventors herein have recognized the above issues and other potential issues with such systems. As one example, covering the lateral bar and longitudinal portion of the suspension system with foam is expensive due to the excess of foam. Additionally, application of the foam to these areas may be difficult due to poor access points, thereby increasing a manufacturing cost. Furthermore, a fuel supply pipe of Komiya is arranged at a top portion of the fuel tank. This fails to take advantage of the space between the fuel tank and the suspension system and reduces the overall package efficiency of the vehicle. As such, the vehicle of Komiya may need to comprise more suspension lift, which may decrease handling and increase drag. Furthermore, by including excess foam and arranging the fuel supply pipe above the fuel tank, a volume of the fuel tank may decrease. Thus, a driving range of the vehicle may decrease and a vehicle operator may be forced to perform an increased number of fuel tank fuel fill-ups.
In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by a system comprising a fuel tank arranged upstream of a suspension system relative to a direction of vehicle movement, wherein a stability bar of the suspension system extends in an upstream direction toward a spud of the fuel tank coupled to a pipe, and a foam being coupled to only a portion of the fuel tank where the spud is arranged. In this way, the foam may maintain a distance between the spud and the stability bar.
As one example, stability bar and the suspension system may absorb one or more vehicle forces as a result of driving and/or a vehicle deformation. These forces may move the stability bar toward the fuel tank or vice-versa. However, by arranging the foam between the spud and the stability bar, the threshold distance between the two may be maintained. Therefore, a likelihood of fuel tank degradation due to the stability bar contacting the spud may decrease, decreasing vehicle repair costs and fuel leaks from the fuel tank. Additionally, in some examples, by coupling the foam to a portion of the fuel tank where the spud resides and not other center portions, a manufacturing cost of the vehicle may be reduced compared to arranging the foam in these other portions as well.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.